Child rape victims and their families tell News 5 their pushing for stiffer bond requirements for offenders charged with raping minors.
The push comes after a 56-year-old Euclid man charged with 155 felony counts related to raping a 10-year-girl repeatedly over an eight-year period bonded out of jail earlier this month.
Milton Hall Sr. is charge with 53 counts of rape in addition to kidnapping, child endangering, domestic violence, gross sexual imposition and sexual battery.
Court documents also alleged that Milton assaulted his victim if she tried to refuse him.
Milton posted a $250,000 cash surety bond on June 5 and has been out on bond since. After out report aired Thursday morning, Milton appeared in court for an arraignment.
At the arraignment, his bond was increased to $1 million.
Charging documents allege that he raped a second girl in 2004. She was 14 years old at the time.
Many community members exploded with outrage on social media.
It’s a case that hit one Cleveland mother particularly hard. News 5 is not identifying her because her 5-year-old daughter is the alleged victim of rape.
“I hit the floor,” the mother said.
Kayoiunderne Hicks, 29, was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service for raping her daughter. Hicks hid out for more than two years before turning himself in on May 17.
Now she fears Hicks could also bond out easily and feels there need to be stiffer bond requirements when children are the victims of alleged rape.
“Sometimes I feel like the justice system fails these children and these victims, not just the children, but the parents that have to deal with them,” she said.
Hicks has a pre-conference trial set for July 11.
